Amid criticism of the lack of harsher punishments to curb cases of racism in football matches in South America – rival fans calling Brazilian monkeys – Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez said that an edition of the Copa Libertadores without clubs in Brazil would be like “Tarzan without the cheetah.”
The statement was given during the draw of the Libertadores group stage.
The questioning about the eventual absence of Brazilian teams came after the president of Palmeiras, Leila Pereira, suggest that the clubs in the country exchanged Conmebol for Concacaf.
Alviverde’s agent criticized the punishment considered excessively soft applied by Conmebol to Cerro Porteño, after fans of the Paraguayan team they made gestures imitating monkey towards striker Luighi, during the departure of Libertadores U20.
The Confederation applied a fine of US $ 50,000 and determined the gates closed in Cerro games in the competition, and forcing the Paraguayan club to conduct a racket awareness campaign on social networks.
In a speech during the ceremony, Paraguayan Domínguez spoke in Portuguese by condemning the acts of racism in the region.
“Racism is a scourge that has no origin in football. It originates in society, but affects football. Conmebol is sensitive to this reality. How can we not be sensitive to Luighi’s pain?” Said the leader.
“Conmebol applies sanctions and does everything that is within a power to change this reality. But this is not enough. We need to understand that racism is rooted in society and that football, as an organization, is fighting the tools that are within its reach,” he added.
He also said that the Confederation decided to summon authorities of the governments of all continents and the member associations with the objective of “establishing a joint action that allows to respond simultaneously to any expression of discrimination and violence.”
